Project Life Pages with Luisa (playing catching up)!

Hello Divas,
Luisa here saying a big hello to all of you.
Well, it's time to share what I have been working on lately.
On December I decided to finally catch-up with my backlog of pictures and decided to use the Becky Higgins "Project Life" scrapbooking approach to catch up.  Of course I had to do it "my way".

Project Life main idea is to use divided page protectors to insert different sizes of photos.  Well, instead I choosed a photo album (Recollections, normally $24.99, paid $15 at Michales w/40% discount).
These type of albums have inserts for 3 horizontal and 2 vertical 4x6 photos.

Here is my very first page with photos of 2007:

What I did was the following:
1) Gather all photos from all places (yes I had photos in 3 different boxes since they were sorted by family member and events.
2) I sorted them by year.  I did separate some pictures that I still want to create normal scrapbook layouts.
3) I started then to insert them in the first album in chronological order of course.

What I found is that 2007 was the year I scrapped the most pictures from that same year and I had very few pictures.
From 2008 I found quite a bunch of pictures and back then I used to take hundreds of pictures of one event.   i.e We went to Viejas Casino and took 175 pictures and printed them all!  I picked some to create layouts with them and the majority were slip into the photo album inserts.

2009 was not much different from 2008, but the pictures are from more events and less photos per event.

Do you notice the evalution I have been experiencing?


Here are some pictures of 2008:

I included a HISTORY journaling block to each year at the begining.  What's in this journaling blocks:
Were we live at
How old we were
School grades
Where we work
Major events of that year

In 2008 I also started to take more selfportraits and this are some of the pictures that never got into a layout.

For this project am using many digital products.  Like journaling blocks and tags.  This pages are not going to be bulky, so I will use lots of flat stickers (shapes and alphas), diecuts, digital images, post-it notes and index cards (my latest discovery!  There are some that are 4x6 and they fit perfectly into the album inserts.

An extra bonus is that am able to use my fave paper collections and scraps for this project.  Am planning to use a different paper collection for each month!

I have a tote where I store all the supplies am using for these albums.  With my tote, my album and a folder with printables; am ready to scrap in the living room with my family, here it is:

Top view!

Side view!

And these are the latest acquisitions I have made for my Project Life Project....


There you go, this is what I am up to lately!


What are you working on currently?


Hugs and blessings,

Awwww...Valentine's Day. 

It is a day of love...anxiety...sadness..

Or all the above.  I think you either hate the day or love it madly! 

My son (single) calls it National Single Awareness Day! 

I guess it is for some, but I have ALWAYS been the hopeless romantic!





No matter how we feel about it, it is a day filled with excitement for the paper crafter!  Another opportunity to create something to show our heart.  I miss the days when the kids were small and we would sit around the table, deciding who would get this card or that one!   Making a fun box to house the treasures your classmates brought you.....eating more chocolate than should be legal!! 
      How it changes us so!  My husband and I are never real mushy at Valentine's Day... last year I recalled the most memorable of our Valentine's Day together.  You can read it here if you would like.  (you have to get past the blog hop info...be ready for a good laugh!)
     A trip to Chucky Cheese with our grandson Ethan was the highlight of this holiday last year.  Love sure has many faces.  

I have created my yearly mushy card for a challenge in a forum I belong to. Following this sketch from "Page Maps",

we were to choose from several different techniques to create a card.  I really enjoyed making it and I know Steve will love receiving it.  I used a plain white card base that I distressed with Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Walnut Stain & Pumice stone (which mellow down the colors a bit.)  I took a chocolate brown scrap of Coredination Cardstock, ran it through my BigShot with a Notebook Paper Embossing Folder. The resulting embossed image showed the pink through the front....awesome.  I made the flower and mat paper from Echo Park's "Yours Truly" collection.  The little stamp was from a kit by Stampin'Up and I popped it up on foam dots.  Some bling, stickles and a piece of white tulle that I stained with Spun Sugar Distress stain and I have a card to give my beloved, that I am kinda proud of!

So, no matter if you have a hundred boyfriends, one very special person, children, grandchildren and/or some scrappy friends that mean the world to you...love is an emotion that we need to share with each other.  Not just today, but every day.  Tell someone what you love about them before the day is over...it could change your world.


Have Valentine's Day, my Creative Diva Friends

Pammie Kay

Paper Piecing Tutorial

Today at the Mansion, I am sharing a video tutorial 

on a quick and simple

way to use your stamps

and 

paper piecing.

For the paper piecing, I used a flower stamp from  The Ippity set - Now & Always.

I really love the flourishes in this set.

My sentiment is from the Unity 03/10 KOM  - Rockin' It Unity Style

Here is the video

Short and Sweet

(still working on perfecting the video

options on my camera, so thank

you for your patience)

Here are a few still pictures of the process

 Here you see the paper products I used:

Recollections aqua card stock

Purple texture paper by Momenta

core'dinations border strips (lavendar for sentiment)

core'dinations core Impressions by Stacy Julian - Happy Colors Collection

green file folder and aqua flower

 Techniques used:

Sanding

Tearing

Paper Piecing

Distressing

Stamping

 Ribbon, Rhinestone, and mini flower buttons all from my stash

I hope you have enjoyed today's short video and 

welcome you to visit us 

each and every day!

So happy to have you visit Divas!!!

Keep Crafting 

:O) 

Jessica

February Guest DT - Maryann Abutaha

Hi All!
This week was really busy for me. I put something together for this week's post, didn't have time to do all I wanted. I was planning to try heat embossing, maybe I will do it next week!
For this project, I cut out two of the largest Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circle in plain cardstock. I then cut out the second largest of the heart circle Spellbinders using some designer paper. Using the smalled scalloped circle I cut another and stamped a heart in the middle.

I adhered the two together to make a box that fit Ghirardelli squares.

I put dots of glitter glue on the red dots in the paper and then put the glitter around the scallop.

Hope you liked it!

Valentine Wreath

Here is a quick and simple Valentine Wreath I made.

I purchased the little packs of foam stickies. (sorry the picture is so dark)

I wrapped a styrofoam wreath in red ribbon and pinned it in the back.  I then picked out the foam stickies I wanted to use and organized them all over the wreath.  Once I knew where I was going to place each stickie, I then peeled the backing and stuck them on the wreath.  

Here is how it came out.  Quick, simple and easy.......with a lot of hearts and LOVE!

LOVE LOVE!!  (it's in the air!!)

Together!!  ;)

More LOVE!

I just loved all the hearts!!

Hope you like my project!!  Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Crafting!

~Michelle

Get Creative with fun Valentine finds...

Hi Divas,
I was shopping Sunday at my local Walmart and found some crafting treasures..

I have found the best cupcake 3D tooth picks and decided they are perfect for a pop on my Valentines card.. as I continued through the store I found some Valentines Day ribbon and had to have it..

I've created a card with my two new products for under $2.00 .. Gotta love that!

 

The stamps used are from Paper Smooches. I hope you like it..

Remember to keep your mind open to fun possibilities. Your cards don't have to be completely flat, add some dimension and have some fun.. 

Happy Creating!      Liz Terrazas      

                                    

Shape Up Your Scraproom Challenge - February!

Hello Divas...

Luisa here!  How was your January?  Hope it was great and that you were able to accomplish some of the tasks from January Shape Up Your Space Challenge !

I did finish some of them, here is my report:

1) Store your scraps! 

--> Am pretty good at this.  it was not a real challenge for me, just needed to keep up.

2) Take 10!

--> I did it.  I tool 11 boxes of partially used chipboard alphabets and with the letter available I created 2-4 Titles for future layouts (of course these are layouts I already have in mind).  In the photo from step 4, you can see to ziplock bags of chipboard alphas leftovers that am donating.

3) Declutter Your Desk Area!

--> I did it 4 times actually!  One per week, since am a very messy scrapper.  If you ask me how it is now, the answer is MESSY!  Last night I prepared page kits for my Saturday crop and also choose stamps and some embellishments and everything is on my Desk...

4) Create a Donation Station!

--> I did it!!!  Here is the proof:

These are some of the things am donating this Saturday (at the crop am attending).  There are tons of stickers, alpha chipboards (from #2 task), foam stamps, some paper, inkpads, etc.

Let us know how you do it.  Am extending the due date to post your "report for January tasks" until Feberuary 15.

Now, let's move onto February tasks:

1) Toss the Trash!

Get rid of tools in not good shape, tiny scraps, dried markers or inkpads, etc.

If you have papers that you don't like anymore or maybe from those stacks and have multiples or are tired of them.  Remember you have created your DONATION BOX, fill it up...  You will make someone else appy and yourself too, because you will have more room for new stuff and you brought happiness to someone else...

2) Organize In-Process projects (page or project kits)

We have pictures from different events.  Take the first step to create layouts with them by:

a) Sort pictures by event, date or theme

b) Choose matching pattern papers that go with them or simply organize some of theme by theme:  Xmas, BD, Girl, Boy! This will make your life easier when you want to choose which papers to use with the pictures.

c) Put your selected papers and add the pictures into a ziplock bag, 12x12 envelope (Cropper Hopper) or a 12x12 Box.  Add some stickers, matching ribbon and maybe some embellishments and you have created your first page kit.

When you are ready to create (at home or at a crop), you just need your page or project kits and tool box.  Productivity any one!!!

3) Ditch the packaging!

If you have embellishments in bulky packages, invest an hour or two, taking them from their package and organize them in a basket, drawer, ziplock bag, box, etc.  You will save tons of space!

4) Organize your tool tote/box!

Make sure to have your tool tote or box ready to create.  You should store your "go to tools" at arms reach. 

If you go to crops, I suggest you set 2 tool boxes, one for your home and one to go.  It pays off!  That way you are always ready to grab your "on the go" tool tote/box for crops or if you want to create something in your living room or kitchen and enjoy family at the same time.

You have until March 15 to complete these tasks.  Please upload your pictures to our CSDivas FB Page and tag them NAME SU - JAN2012, example: LUISA SU - JAN2012 (SU = Shape Up).

Have a wonderful week and don't forget about our giveaways.

Hugs and blessings,